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Electronic apparatusElectronic apparatus description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050258803, Electronic apparatus. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus using a battery as a power source connected thereto through a connecting cable and more particularly to an electronic apparatus provided with a guiding indication which informs a user of a manner of mounting the battery in the electronic apparatus. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] In conventional compact electronic apparatuses, a dry battery, an AC adaptor, a charging battery, and the like are commonly used as a driving source. The apparatuses include an electronic apparatus using only a single type of them as the driving source and another apparatus selectively using one of several types as the driving source according to a using condition. [0005] In one of the compact electronic apparatuses, for example, a label producing machine which produces a label by printing thereon inputted contents such as characters, symbols, etc. is internally provided with a charging battery. The machine is placed on a charger stand during non-use to charge the charging battery, and is removed from the charging stand before use and uses electricity stored in the charging battery. [0006] Some label producing machines are not provided with a charging battery in a body of each machine at the time of purchase. Thus, a user has to insert the charging battery in a battery compartment while paying attention to orientation or positioning of the charging battery and then connect a connector provided at an end of a cable extending from the charging battery to a connector provided inside the battery compartment. Even after mounting the charging battery once, the user has to replace it with new one if the mounted charging battery is weak or dead, though the number of replacement is low. This connection of the connectors is usually conducted by engagement of the connectors with each other. However, the connectors often have structures which cannot be connected unless connecting conditions such as positional relation between the connectors, an orientation of each connector to be connected, and others are properly satisfied. Accordingly, in many cases, a guiding indication which indicates how to properly connect the connectors is additionally applied to near the connector provided in the battery compartment. For instance, a label producing machine (Product name: PT-18R manufactured by Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha) is provided with such guiding indication on a surface of a stepped part formed in the battery compartment, the surface being higher and in parallel with a bottom surface of the battery compartment. The guiding indication is integrally formed with a member or material forming the battery compartment at the time of molding. [0007] Another label producing machine (Product name: PT-55 manufactured by Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha) is structured to work on four dry batteries. A guiding indication which indicates an orientation of the dry batteries to be inserted is provided near an opening of the battery compartment. This guiding indication is also formed integrally with a member or material forming the opening at the time of molding. [0008] A washable electronic apparatus such as an electric razor or the like is arranged so that a power supply part such as a battery is removably connected to a body through a power supply plug, thereby supplying electric power to the body. If the power supply plug is connected to the body while a detachable part of the power supply plug is wetted, electric current is caused to flow through between electrode terminals in the detachable part, thus corroding the electrode terminals. To prevent such electric corrosion, Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2001-244013 (hereinafter, Document 1) discloses that a partition wall is provided for preventing electrical conduction between electrode terminals which may be caused by water. FIG. 5 of Document 1 shows a power supply plug having right and left electrode terminals and a cover which covers them. On a surface of the cover, marks representing respective polarities of the electrode terminals are applied. FIGS. 1 and 2 of Document 1 show an electrical appliance provided at a bottom with a detachable part to which the power supply plug is connected. The electrical appliance and the power supply plug are constructed to be connectable only when respective detachable parts are aligned in face to face at a predetermined angle and be unconnectable if they are turned about an axis from the aligned position by e.g. 180.degree.. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] In the former label producing machine (PT-18R), however, the guiding indication is provided inside the battery compartment which receives the charging battery, so that it is inconspicuous to a user. Even if the user can recognize the existence of the guiding indication, it is illegible because it is apt to be hidden behind the machine body. When the charging battery is housed in the battery compartment, the indication would become further illegible. During works to connect the connectors, furthermore, the guiding indication would be hidden behind the user's hand, the cable extending from the charging battery held by his hand, and the connector provided at the end of the cable. This makes it difficult for the user to correctly connect the connectors. [0010] In the electrical appliance shown in Document 1, the power supply plug is applied with the indications representing the polarity of each terminal, whereas the body of the electrical appliance is not applied with any indication. Consequently, the user may not correctly connect the plug to the electrical appliance with correct polarities by one connecting work. [0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide an electronic apparatus provided with a guiding indication which indicates a connecting orientation of a battery-side connector in a conspicuous position and in a easy-to-understand form, so that a battery and an apparatus body can be connected smoothly through connectors without fails. [0012] Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. [0013] To achieve the purpose of the invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: an apparatus body; a battery which supplies power to the apparatus; a housing part formed in the body in which the battery is housed; an opening through which the battery is inserted in the housing part; a connecting cable; a first connector connected to the battery through the connecting cable; a second connector which is provided in the body and electrically connects the battery to the body when the first connector is connected to the second connector, the first connector being detachably connected to the second connector; and a connector-connection indication which is provided on an outer surface of the body near the opening and the second connector and is arranged to indicate a connecting orientation of the first connector. [0014] According to the above electronic apparatus, while the battery is housed in the housing part of the body, the battery-side connector connected to the battery through the connecting cable and the body-side connector for electrically connecting the battery housed in the housing part to the body are detachably connected. The connector-connection indication which indicates a connecting orientation of the battery-side connector is provided on a surface near the opening of the housing part and also near the body-side connector. This indication is easy to view and will not be hidden behind the body of the electronic apparatus. Further, the indication is legible even after the battery is inserted in the housing part. During connection of the connectors, the indication will not be hidden behind by the user's hand, the cable extending from the battery held by his hand, and the connector provided at the end of the cable. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent failures of connection between the connectors. [0015] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: an apparatus body; a battery which supplies power to the apparatus; a housing part formed in the body in which the battery is housed; an opening through which the battery is inserted in the housing part; a connecting cable; a first connector connected to the battery through the connecting cable; a second connector which is provided in the body and electrically connects the battery to the body when the first connector is connected to the second connector, the first connector being detachably connected to the second connector; a connector-connection indication which is provided on an outer surface of the body near the opening and the second connector and is arranged to indicate a connecting orientation of the first connector; and a battery-housing indication which is provided on the surface near the opening and adjacent to the connector-connection indication and which represents a shape and a housing orientation of the battery to be housed in the housing part. [0016] According to the above electronic apparatus, the connector-connection indication is easy to view and will not be hidden behind the body of the electronic apparatus. Further, the indication is legible even after the battery is inserted in the housing part. During connection of the connectors, the indication will not be hidden behind by the user's hand, the cable extending from the battery held by his hand, and the connector provided at the end of the cable. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent failures of connection between the connectors. Further, when the opening of the housing part is closed by the cover, covering over the battery housed in the housing part, the user can recognize that the battery has been housed inside, which is convenient. It is therefore possible to give the user to clearly understand the type of connector as compared with the case where only the connector-connection indication is provided. The apparatus also can have a simple appearance. Indication of the housing orientation of the battery to be housed allows the user to house the battery in the housing part correctly. [0017] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: an apparatus body; a battery which supplies power to the apparatus; a housing part formed in the body in which the battery is housed; an opening through which the battery is inserted in the housing part; a connecting cable; a first connector connected to the battery through the connecting cable; a second connector which is provided in the body and electrically connects the battery to the body when the first connector is connected to the second connector, the first connector being detachably connected to the second connector; a cover which is removably attached to the body to open and close the opening, thereby covering the battery housed in the housing part; a connector-connection indication which is provided on an outer surface of the body near the opening and the second connector and is arranged to indicate a connecting orientation of the first connector by indicating electric polarities of a plurality of terminals constituting the first connector in different colors, showing a difference in electric polarities by color-coding; and a battery-housing indication which is provided on the surface near the opening and adjacent to the connector-connection indication and which represents a shape and a housing orientation of the battery to be housed in the housing part, and a mark representing the connecting cable to be connected to the first connector; wherein the plurality of cords or a surface of the first connector corresponding to the plurality of cords are color-coded in similar colors to colors of the polarity marks based on the difference in electric polarity, and at least one of the connector-connection indication and the battery-housing indication is a label affixed on the surface near the opening and the second connector. [0018] According to the above electronic apparatus, the connector-connection indication is easy to view and will not be hidden behind the body of the electronic apparatus. Further, the indication is legible even after the battery is inserted in the housing part. During connection of the connectors, the indication will not be hidden behind by the user's hand, the cable extending from the battery held by his hand, and the connector provided at the end of the cable. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent failures of connection between the connectors. Further, while the opening of the housing part is covered by the cover, covering over the battery housed in the housing part, the user can recognize that the battery has been housed inside, which is convenient. It is therefore possible to give the user to clearly understand the type of connector as compared with the case where only the connector-connection indication is provided. Thus, the apparatus can have a simple appearance. Indication of the housing orientation of the battery to be housed allows the user to house the battery in the housing part correctly. [0019] Further, since the battery which is less often replaced normally is covered by the cover, it is inconspicuous to the user. In the case where some components except the battery need be replaced, the cover is effective in making the user divert attention from the battery. The apparatus can be simple in design. [0020] The battery itself and the connecting cable associated with the battery are indicated. Thus, the user can recognize the orientation of the battery and more surely house the battery in the housing part. [0021] The indicated color allows the user to recognize the polarity of each terminal and correspondingly connect the battery-side connector to the body-side connector in a correct manner. [0022] Even when the user does not recognize what color indicates which polarity of each terminal, the color of the connector-connection indication singly allows the user to correctly connect the battery-side connector to the body-side connector. Continue reading about Electronic apparatus... Full patent description for Electronic apparatus Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Electronic apparatus patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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